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  • 期刊

梁廷枬對於西方之認識及其開新視野

Liang Ting-nan's New Vision of the Western World, 1842-1846

摘要


自十五世紀初,1405鄭和下西洋起,華人對於域外海國之認識探究,已是擴大視野,採輯異國物產風情,撰著成書,屢有載集,不待詳舉。明清兩代多能考論。 自十六世紀始自西葡兩國之向海外探得新地之後,歐人大加海外擴張,無論新陸之美洲、澳洲,而舊陸之亞洲、非洲,亦俱備受歐洲強大武力衝擊。數百年間各地林林總總之大小民族、部落、國家淪亡而澌滅者何止以千百計,一一淪為西歐列邦之殖民地。地球大勢自十八世紀以後已大致完全改觀。而中國面對世勢,自亦不同往昔。舊日傳承之書多亦失其參考價值。 十九世紀中葉,中國承受歐洲衝擊而發生鴉片戰爭,終以戰敗而與英國簽訂《江寧條約》,既割地又賠款,並因無知而暗損不少主權,此即大受不明外情之虧。由是乃激起國內志士努力用心於探究域外世界之列強史志國情。其鴉片戰後而著手探究世界大勢與歐洲列國國情者,如著述暴布世界列國知識之書,同代名家有魏源、徐繼畬、梁廷木丹、姚瑩四人。其著聞於世者有魏源之《海國圖志》、徐繼畬之《瀛寰志略》,世人熟知,流布最廣。惟尚有梁廷木丹之《海國四說》,姚瑩之《康輶紀行》兩書未涉論世界全局,論域自然狹窄,由是不甚為人所知。 說來梁氏之之關心世界新局,不及魏源、徐繼畬二人之網羅全面,惟梁氏之書,自具優長,重點深入,專事研考英美兩國史志輿地,有深層探索,亦能揭示特有重點。 有關世界地學新知,對十六世紀以降之重大事件、重要學說,梁氏無不涉談,大量引據西洋教士中譯之作。如為地圓說、地球繞日運行論、五大洲正名等,以至哥倫布發現新大陸、馬其蘭(即麥哲倫)環繞地球航行與南北美洲命名,梁氏書中亦俱作明晰演敘。 至於梁氏書所陳之更深而且廣者,自分集於美國英國之政情及運用,生產國力之憑恃,教育之普及,社會之扶濟,刑法之簡易公正。其所最能超越他人者有三個重點: 其一,詳紀南北美洲之各樣物產,金銀之盛,石油煤炭之先於他洲,以至種族文化之多樣,可令世人耳目一新。 其二,特敘英國在北美之屬地加拿大、七部領域疆界、首府,即至今日亦完全名實相符。 其三,梁廷木丹在同時代思想先驅之中,最能表現其超卓眼光之處,是在鴉片戰爭之動因,指出英國的目的不在戰爭而在要達到商貿利益。鴉片是最獲利商品,就確信開放通商之後,鴉片仍不能禁絕。由是梁氏特要進一步探究英國朝野菅商謀財的手法。於是明確澄清英國商貿之經營結構。包括集資、生業、周轉、匯兌、存貸、專利、保險等要項,梁氏俱加一一詳細介紹,當時國人絕無梁氏如此之敏覺。 梁氏生平著作三十八種,而最具影響而足以傳世者四種:是為《廣東海防彙覽》、《粵海關志》、《夷氛聞紀》和《海國四說》。其個人自是一位十九世紀中葉的思想先驅,在近代思想史上永佔一席之地。

關鍵字

梁廷枬 合省國 蘭崙 銀票 銀館 換銀 擔保會 專利

並列摘要


Since 1405, the year when Zheng Ho's fleet started its first westward navigation, the Chinese enlarged their vision and knowledge of the foreign countries, and thus wrote quite a few books on the products and custom of the West. It's especially evident in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Following Spanish and Portuguese expansion of their maritime power, the Europeans had made great impact not only on the New World-America and Australia, but also on the Old World-Asia and Africa. Of the peoples, tribes, and countries of these continents, some were totally annihilated, some reduced to colonies of the Imperialists. Consequently there occurred a total change of global situation. It's under these circumstances, much different from ever before, that China was forced to face. The Opium War of the mid-nineteenth century, resulting from the European invasion, led to the Treaty of Nanking, through which China ceded some territory, lost a large amount of money and even the integration of sovereignty. This catastrophe, mostly owing to the ignorance of foreign countries, stimulated the awareness of Chinese intellectuals to study the history and culture of Western Powers. Among the most famous scholars probing European countries, Wei Yuan, Xu Ji-Yu, Liang Ting-nan and Yao Ying were the four top ones. The writings of Wei and Xu are much better known by the Chinese than those of Liang and Yao. In fact, Liang's viewpoints were still penetrating in some aspects, especially on the history and geography of England and USA, though they were less comprehensive than Wei's and Xu's. Inspired by the Chinese translation of some western masterpieces, Liang devoted himself to the description of the important events, the appellation of the five continents and the introduction to the famous theories, such as the geoid's theory, heliocentrism, etc. Among the thirty-eight books written by Liang, the four most influential are ”Compilation of Guangdong Coastal Defense (廣東海防彙覽)”, ”Archives of Canton Customs (粵海關志)”, ”Records of Western Affairs (夷氛聞紀)”, and ”Four Descriptions on Foreign Countries (海國四說)”. Focused on the politics, economy, education, law and social welfare of England and USA, Liang's writings were characteristic of clear description and sharp insight on the cause of the Opium War. In a word, Liang was an intellectual pioneer in the mid-nineteenth century and played an important role in the modern Chinese intellectual history.

並列關鍵字

Liang Ting-nan United States England bank notes bank remittance insurance patent

參考文獻


丁寧、周正山(1986)。梁廷枬與《粵海關志》。學術月刊。6
王家儉。十九世紀西方史地知識的介紹及其影響,1807-1861。大陸雜誌。38(6),14-24。
王家儉(1964)。魏源對西方的認識及其海防思想。台北:國立台灣大學文學院。
王爾敏()。
王爾敏(1965)。耆英外交。大陸雜誌。30(9-10)

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